Should Cops Be Able to Use Drones Without a Warrant?

Earlier this week, we told you about the proposed bill that would make it illegal for cops to use drones to gather information without a search warrant.

House Bill 2574 is very similar to bills being proposed in several other states, although the legislators proposing the Arizona edition happen to be proponents of anti-black-helicopter legislation -- like the "birther" bills.

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Why the fuck are you framing it like that? The question that needs to be asked is, should police(pigs) be allowed to use drones period. It shouldn't be a matter of acquiring a warrant. Come on New Times, you are better than that

Has any one noticed a change in America since the creation of so called "Homeland Security"?

Congress has not been stalled with Bipartisanship, the Tax Dollars Congress used to allocate are all being used by these out of control spying Tyrants.

Congress has been rendered useless, and may as well be sent home, they can never get anything done in this new Authoritarian Police State , formerly a Democracy known as "The Land of the Free, and The Home of the Brave."

We now call what Congress spends our New Ballooning National Deficit.

The Taxes on "We the People" are being rased, and our entitlements cut to pay for this out of control, and un-constitutional Spying over America!

Remember the Prosperous, Brave, and Free America, before this Police State entity so called "Homeland Security" which has really crashed our Nation?!!!!!

The "Act of a True Patriot" would be to shove these little thermal spying Drones straight up the Asses of those operating them over our American Homes.

Police or any peice of Trash spying on "We the People " with un-constitutional High Tech veiwing , and listening devices should have the right to a firing Squad.

What did our Troops fight, and Die to protect?!

To the peice of Trash Perverts, and Gutless Cowards that have harassed me for over nine years with your noisy Helicopters, and disguised drones, you have the right to put on Big Boy Pants, and come to my front Door?!

There are nuances and subtleties. A drone with a regular still or video camera - sure; when you are outdoors you have a reduced expectation of privacy. A drone with a sensitive listening equipment or FLIR that can pick up sounds or heat from inside a building, a lot more disturbing because you do have an expectation of privacy indoors. A drone with the ability to monitor cell-phone calls, again a little more disturbing because you do have an expectation of privacy in your phone calls. Its less about the drone and more about the sensing equipment on the drone.

I'm less concerend about the drones, however, than I am about the warrantless wire-tapping and other electronic monitoring that Congress permitted in legislation that was passed following 9/11, was expanded by Bush and seems to be further expanded under Obama. That is a day-in/day-out invasion of our civil rights by the federal government without any articulable suspicion that any of us has engaged in criminal wrongdoing.

@JohnQ.Public I agree, drones aren't as concerning (yet) as electronic monitoring and warrantless wiretapping (according to the Washington Post, the NSA obtains and stores billions of stolen electronic communications everyday). However, I do think the issues go hand in hand. They both threaten/take away our fundamental right to privacy; drone use just hasn't reached the level of abuse that the eavesdropping programs have. As such, domestic drone use (or all drone use, for that matter) needs to be watched with a close eye to make sure it can't reach that same level of abuse.

@JQP No matter how riviting you think my life is, I am a Hard Working Law Abiding Tax Paying Voting American Citizen, and according to the now abandoned U.S. Constitution even I have the Right to Privacy,Life , Liberty, and the pursiut of Happiness

These Drones have been very menacing to me for over Nine Years, and I would love to stomp these Peeping, Vindictive Spying Government Cowards (aka, your Intellegence Analysts.) a new Asshole!

Sorry for the "Honesty, and Courage".

Our Founding Fathers threw a Revolution for too high of a Tax on Tea.

What do you think our Founding Fathers would do to these dispicable Constitution Trashing Peeping Tom Government Cowards?

I have years of video of many, many types of drones over my home, infact yesterday evening I counted over twelve aircrafts, and a helicopter circling madly above my Gilbert home.

I must be pissing in the Gutless Cowards Wheaties Right.

How many more years before they realize thier heads are up a Crevas?

Don't you worry though, we will just call the wasted Hundreds of Billions of Tax Dollars a National Deficit.

What is "Freedom"

I have had drones follow my every move for many years, even when I go camping to get away from lifes stresses?

They buzz around even all night long above my tent, circle all weekend as I try to fish and relax, last summer while riding with my family near Hawley Lake, I stopped my vehichle to water a pine tree, and as soon as I began a helicopter drifted directly above me and hovered watching as I gave them my middle finger, and watered the tree.

I think it is riviting for these Spying peices of Trash?!

Judging by the massive number of comments you make on nearly every blog your life must be "Riveting" to analysts as well?